After leaving Venice, Florida to escape Hurricane Ian, David believed he was heading away from danger. Instead, the storm shifted south — placing him directly in the path of the eyewall near Captiva Island.

Alone aboard his DeFever Trawler, conditions rapidly deteriorated.

His cell phone was nearly dead.
 The generator failed.
 Communication was lost.
 Then the boat began dragging anchor.

What followed was a nightmare scenario as the vessel grounded on a shoal before being rolled onto its side by storm surge and violent winds, flooding much of the boat and trapping David inside.

After finally escaping to the deck, he endured hurricane-force winds, driving rain, seawater splashing in to his face, and being pummeled by debris.

With hypothermia setting in and survival uncertain, David activated his EPIRB — triggering a dramatic Coast Guard helicopter rescue in the middle of Hurricane Ian.

Following the rescue, David and Rebecca were faced with the reality of salvaging the wrecked vessel and picking up the pieces. 

This episode can be viewed in video form on The Great Epoch Youtube Channel.

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Music By: Mark Patsavas

When the storm was forecast to hit Tampa Bay, this Venice Florida couple was forced to evacuate their DeFever Trawler from their marina. What happened next turned in to a life-or-death fight for survival.

In this episode, we get their backstory, how they got in to boating, what led them to a DeFever 44, and the events leading up to their decision to try to escape Hurricane Ian. Unfortunately, hurricane forecasting is not straightforward, and it is impossible to know what the right thing to do is. Unfortunately, their choice in this 50-50 decision ended up leading to a lost vessel and a rescue during the height of a Category 4 storm. Part 2 we will get in to the thick of it with them on what actually transpired following departure from their marina in Venice. 

We actually owned the exact same make and model vessel named Aqua-Cultured, and we recorded this interview onboard the vessel in St. Petersburg, FL. This was the first time they have stepped aboard a DeFever in 2 years since losing theirs in the hurricane. 

Music by: Mark Patsavas

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On the bitterly cold and windy night of February 11, 1907, the steamship SS Larchmont was traveling from Providence, Rhode Island to New York City with hundreds of passengers on board. Near Block Island, the vessel collided with the schooner Harry Knowlton, tearing a massive hole into the ship’s side and puncturing its boiler.

What followed was fifteen minutes of unimaginable chaos.

Scalding steam filled the interior of the ship, suffocating and burning passengers trapped below deck while freezing seawater rushed inside. Those who escaped to the deck were met by hurricane-force winds, icy sea spray, and deadly winter temperatures. Panic spread as lifeboats were fought over, accusations of crew negligence surfaced, and desperate passengers struggled to survive the freezing Atlantic.

Some survivors endured the impossible — clinging to wreckage in brutal conditions until rescue arrived — while many others were lost to the sea. Bodies and survivors would eventually wash ashore along the coast of Block Island, many suffering severe frostbite. Because no passenger manifest existed, the true number of lives lost was never known.

The tragedy would ultimately change maritime safety laws, leading to the requirement that passenger manifests be recorded on land so the number of people aboard ships could never again vanish into uncertainty.

Joined by maritime historian Daniel Harrington, this episode explores the haunting story of the SS Larchmont, the people who were aboard that night, and the legacy left behind by one of America’s most terrifying maritime disasters.

If you enjoy maritime history, shipwrecks, survival stories, and the mysteries of the sea, this episode of Epoch Stories is one you won’t want to miss.